Amazing Leftover Ham Bone Lentil Soup
User Reviews
5
Amazing Leftover Ham Bone Lentil Soup
Description
Amazing Leftover Ham Bone Lentil Soup is built on a base of olive oil-sautéed diced onion, celery, carrot, garlic, parsley, thyme, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, which softens for several minutes to develop flavor. Adding chicken stock, lentils, a dried bay leaf, and a ham bone allows the soup to simmer gently for nearly an hour until lentils soften and flavors intensify.
Optional browned Italian chicken or pork sausage adds savory richness and texture contrast. Removing the ham bone after simmering and optionally shredding remaining meat extends its smoky character throughout the broth. The soup delivers a robust yet balanced profile combining smoky ham, earthy lentils, fresh herbs, and gentle heat.
Finished with salt and pepper to taste, it is suitable for lunch or dinner as a nutritious, filling soup that repurposes flavorful ingredients efficiently. It offers a homely consistency with tender lentils and chunks of meat and vegetables creating texture variety.
Adding salt last is important to accommodate the saltiness from the ham bone and broth without oversalting. Using low-sodium broth helps control seasoning levels.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced, 1 medium onion
- 1 cup celery diced; 2-3 ribs
- 1 cup carrot diced; 2-3 medium carrots
- 1 tablespoon parsley dried or 1/4 cup fresh
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- crushed red pepper pinch
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth; low-sodium
- 1 pound brown lentil about 2 1/4 cups, rinsed and picked through, small debris and stones removed
- 1 bay leaf dried
- 1 ham bone leftover or smoked ham hock
- 1 pound chicken sausage Italian chicken or pork; fully cooked, sliced or chopped
Instructions
- In a 6- or 8-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, thyme, garlic, and crushed red pepper (if using), and cook, stirring often, until the veggies start to soften, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the broth, lentils, bay leaf, and the ham bone or ham hock (it may not be fully submerged, that's ok). Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and continue to simmer for 45-60 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and moderate the heat if you need to.
- While the soup cooks, brown the sausages with a bit of olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat (optional: you can leave the sausages out entirely or throw them in the soup without browning but I like the flavor and texture from browning them first).
- Remove the ham bone, and if desired, pick off any pieces of ham and add to the soup with the browned sausage. Heat through.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper (this is important! Additional salt is not included in the recipe to account for varying saltiness in different varieties of ham and broth, so make sure to add to taste or the soup may be bland).
Notes
- Adjust salt carefully at the end since the ham bone and broth vary in saltiness.
- Chicken sausage adds flavor but can be omitted or added directly without browning if preferred.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 serving | |
| Calories | 347kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 39g | 13% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 38mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 759mg | 32% |
| Fiber | 15g | 60% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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